Why Baketard? Love to cook, hate to bake. Despite having gone to cooking school and working in some top kitchens, I never learned the baking side of things. I'm building my baking and photography skills, while sharing recipes that rock my world in the mean time.

Ok, that’s a big, fat lie but I have fun pretending it is and providing nonstop commentary during Seahawks’ games on Facebook. Some of my friends, knowing how full of shit I am, find it hilarious. Others just want me to put a cork in it. Regardless, it entertains me and if you crack YOURSELF up, what more do you need?

These tater tots. THAT’S what you need. For me, the superbowl is typically a bunch of background noise leading up to (this year) The Katy Perry concert, natch. I have to admit, this year I was into the game more than I ever have been and tortured our friends with nonstop questions, some of which were reallllly dumb given the looks I received in response. I absented myself during the game to make these, and while they are extremely spicy (in a good way), they’re sooooooooo going on my summer barbecue rotation. Even the non-spice freaks loved them.

I’ve adapted the original recipe below, and I’m very happy with the results. I hope you are too, and if you make em, drop me a line and let me know how it went for you. Some notes: If spicy isn't your deal, you may want to cut down on the 1:1 cheese:Gochujang (korean chile paste) ratio and add extra mirin instead to smooth out the sauce. You can also bake the tots instead of frying them if you want to cut down fat, but honestly--if you're watching fat intake you shouldn't make this recipe in the first place.

Sakaya Kitchen’s Kalbi Chunk’d Tots Recipe

Recipe adapted from Richard Hales’ Sakaya Kitchen

KALBI SHORT RIB MARINADE:

Mix all ingredients with short rib meat, cover and marinate overnight.

hot sauce, if desired (With this recipe, adding more hot sauce would be redundant, IMHO)

Directions:

Makes approximately 4 servings

1. Set grill to high heat. Grill short ribs on high heat until well done. Set aside. (You can also cook them on the stovetop in a lightly oiled grill pan or skillet, as the small pieces are a pain in the ass unless you have a small-grate basket or attachment for the grill, given how these are cut into smaller pieces for the marinade. Next time I may marinate the entire short rib pieces and then slice at the time of serving so I can use the grill.)

2. Deep fry potato nuggets at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. At the same time, cook the cheese sauce slightly over medium-low heat to make it more pliable and melty. It doesn't take long--maybe 5 minutes.

3. Remove potato nuggets from oil to a mixing bowl. Toss with a pinch of sea salt and cheese sauce until coated.

4. Slice short rib meat into bite size pieces.

5. Place tater tot mixture in serving bowl, top with short rib meat and garnish with chopped scallions and hot sauce.